“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." ~ Helen Keller
I want to tell you all about a recent ride in a Lyft that definitely “lifted” my spirits. I was down in Southern California and needed to get to Long Beach to see family. It was going to be about a 40-minute ride and my driver, Ray (who was about my age), struck up a conversation shortly after I had settled into his Hyundai Ioniq. We shared surface chit chat, such as, “Where are you from?,” “What kind of work do you do?,” and so forth. He noted that he was a retired psychologist, which I found interesting. Eventually, his expressed opinions and mine had us tiptoeing into the forbidden topic of…
You guessed it: POLITICS.
Looking back on it, I could tell we were both being respectfully cautious, gently peeling back layers of discretion that lead to that satisfying feeling of, “That’s how I spell relief,” once it was clear that we were both Democrats. Giant, internal sigh on that one, as we empathized and commiserated. The momentum of discussion flowed, like catching a shared, blue wave as we discussed our aligning views on healthcare, the economy, fair elections, equality, a crescendo of shared opinions building when I asked him:
“What do you think the solution is?”
He paused, collected his thoughts, and his response was like a neon sign, in the form of a “YES!” moment, and an affirmation that I’ve held onto (or clung to, with hope), that resonates so clearly with me, as I’m sure it does for many.
“UNIFY.”
It took me back to that time before the last election, when I would discuss politics in safe spaces, with friends who were and were not Democrats. There was a key word that I used often when I talked with like-minded folks about our “…only hope,” as if I was Princess Leia recording her famous holographic message to Obi-Wan Kenobi.
It was the best part of our conversation, that crescendo. We talked about how much power existed in numbers, if all Democrats voted, and how if all other parties outside of Republicans joined as a coalition to unify it would be an electoral landslide, a monopoly of power. A coalition of Democrats, third parties (like Libertarians or Greens), and independents would easily outnumber Republicans. It could mean legislative control, a united front that could easily capture the presidency, sidelining the Republican platform on national security, taxes, and judicial appointments. A democracy, famously described by Abraham Lincoln as a government "…of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
The conversation had me sitting in the car 15 minutes after we arrived…and it was well worth it. The exchange was encouraging and that key word, UNIFY, punctuated it in a way that makes it one that I’ll not soon forget.
UNIFY. Let’s do it!
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Kindest regards,
Cindi Reis, President